The new year brings a crowded midseason to network TV, packed with all kinds of questionable reality programming that they mostly kept from fall schedules.
The first variation is “Celebrity Wife Swap” (ABC, 10 p.m.) – because regular old “Wife Swap” got too old and predictable, apparently.
You can imagine that the A-listers may have passed on this particular stripe of exploitation. So instead we have Tracey Gold of “Growing Pains,” who is a more strict disciplinarian, and Carnie Wilson, pictured here with her family, who is more laissez faire. Juicier pairings are in the future. On Tuesday, Gary Busey switches with ex-pastor Ted Haggard. Still to be swapped: Flavor Flav with Dee Snider.
The show follows yet another season start of “The Bachelor” (ABC, 8 p.m.) which once more features a runner up from a previous season, Ben Flajnik. Twenty five women come rushing at him in the premiere and he has to cut down the field quickly in his first rose ceremony.
But it won’t be the flashiest display of roses all day. The Tournament of Roses Parade (NBC, 11 a.m.) occurs this morning, because New Year’s Day fell on a Sunday, and they don’t march on Sundays.
It precludes the day’s other big event in Pasadena, The Rose Bowl (ESPN,5 p.m.) with Wisconsin vs. Oregon.
It’s part of a day of bowl games that includes Houston vs. Penn State in the TicketCity Bowl (ESPNU, noon), Michigan State vs. Georgia in the Outback Bowl (ABC, 1 p.m.), Nebraska vs. South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl (ESPN, 1 p.m.), Ohio State vs. Florida in the Gator Bowl (ESPN2, 1 p.m.) and Stanford vs. Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.).
But the big sporting event today arguably is the annual NHL Winter Classic (NBC, 1 p..m) with the Rangers at the Flyers – an outdoor game in the Citizens Bank Park., home of the Phillies.
The other hockey game of the day appears on the station formerly known as Versus, which officially changes its name today, Sharks at Canucks (NBC Sports Network, 8 p.m.).
Winter seasons begin for the soapy serials “Pretty Little Liars” (ABC Family, 8 p.m.) and “The Lying Game” (ABC Family, 9 p.m.).
Bravo gravitates to the most obnoxious of characters. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that the flamboyant assistant of Rachel Zoe Brad Goreski lands his own series, “It’s a Brad, Brad World” (Bravo, 10 p.m.).
People haven’t apparently been cleaning up their homes in the wake of the success of “Hoarders” (A&E, 9 p.m.). So a sixth season starts, right alongside the 12th season start for “Intervention” (A&E, 10 p.m.).
Season 16 of “Antiques Roadshow” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings) begins in Tulsa.
CBS presents new episodes of “How I Met Your Mother” (CBS, 8 p.m.), “2 Broke Girls” (CBS, 8:30 p.m.), “Two and a Half Men” (CBS, 9 p.m.) “Mike & Molly” (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) and “Hawaii Five-0” (CBS, 10 p.m.). But there are double reruns on other networks with “House” (Fox, 8 and 9 p.m.) and “The Secret Circle” (The CW, 8 and 9 p.m.).
“Who’s Still Standing?” (NBC, 8 p.m.) begins its regular time slot on Mondays, where it will run until it falls down a trap door. It’s accompanied by “Fear Factor” (NBC, 9 p.m.), the stupidest lead-in imaginable for “Rock Center with Brian Williams” (NBC, 10 p.m.).
Joseph Cotton is featured tonight on Turner Classic Movies, with “Portrait of Jennie” (8 p.m.), “The Farmer’s Daughter” (9:30 p.m.), “The Steel Trap” (11:15 p.m.), “Niagara” (1 a.m.) and “Lydia” (2:45 a.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa: Tyra Banks, Ben Flajnik, Chalene Johnson, Mark Consuelos. The Talk: Tyra Banks, Lucinda Scala Quinn (rerun). Ellen DeGeneres: Justin Timberlake, Coldplay (rerun). Wendy Williams: Whoopi Goldberg, cast of “Sister Act.” Rosie O’Donnell: Penny Marshall.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Robert Downey Jr., Rooney Mara (rerun). Jay Leno: Charles Barkley, Berenice Bejo, Amber Riley (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: Jane Fonda, Russell Brand, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Tina Fey, Tom Welling, Twin Shadow (rerun). Craig Ferguson: Tim Meadows, Eliza Doolittle, Myq Kaplan. Tavis Smiley: Cornel West: (rerun). Carson Daly: Kurt Sutter, Laura Marling (rerun). Chelsea Handler: Emmy Rossum, Jen Kirkman, Josh Wolf, Michael Yo.